DR. WALLACE: My parents are older (in their late 50s) and my problem is that they are out of touch! We don’t agree on almost anything, and we often get into heated arguments about politics, the workplace and modern life in general. It’s as if my parents are stuck in a time warp and they don’t understand this modern world. If they were zoo animals, I’d say they would be ostriches with their heads deep in the sand!
Recently, my parents yelled at me and challenged my intelligence, since they don’t like the sources I gather my information from.
Well, I’m not stupid; I just think differently than they do. What can I do about all of this? — Frustrated teen, via email
FRUSTRATED TEEN: First of all, do not talk politics with your parents so often. It’s fine that each individual has a different or unique view, but to argue heatedly and repeatedly within a family is not healthy.
Instead, focus on the areas you do all agree upon. There must be some funny family stories or experiences that you went through as a child that make you smile when recalling those days now as a teenager. Bring up one of those stories with your parents to lighten the mood from time to time.
Accept that your parents are from a different generation and that they will always think differently than you do when it comes to certain topics, but do not let that ruin the family harmony and the love they no doubt have for you underneath it all.
EQUAL WORK DESERVES EQUAL PAY
DR. WALLACE: I’m not a teen but I am a regular reader of your column since I’m the mother of two teenagers. You previously printed the letter from a mother who was concerned about whether her son should enter college or join the workforce after high school. To reassure her that college was the best way to go, you back then printed several salary figures comparing high school graduates, college graduates and master’s degree holders.
While it may look promising for this young man to see his salary rise with his education, I became deeply concerned about my daughters’ future from the same figures. According to your figures back then, this means that after completing four years of college, my girls might finally be worthy of earning a salary roughly equal to that of a male with nothing more than a high school diploma!
Whatever happened to equal pay for equal work? — Concerned mom, via email
CONCERNED MOM: In the past, it was sad but true that males, on average, earned more than females even when both had equal education and training.
But I am very happy to now report that things are much better for females on this topic. One of the major reasons women earned less than men was the fact that, in generations past, they were somewhat restricted to what were considered “female” jobs. Today, in almost every area of employment, there is tremendous gender equality in the workplace. No longer do we have so many jobs that are expected to be filled by only one gender.
I completely agree that there should be equal pay for equal work regardless of gender, religion, ethnic origin or even age. Positive change takes time, and in the area of jobs and employment, there has been great improvement to this point. I feel society is headed in the right direction, but there remain areas that demand improvement.
I trust your daughters will very likely have every opportunity to succeed in their careers and will be compensated fairly for the work they do. Progress takes time, and it is very good to see it be achieved and solidified.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected] To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
